Police given accessories to aid road safety education

ACTIVA Insurance Company has donated electronic appliances to the Liberia National Police (LNP) in support of the police force’s road safety and driver education program.

ACTIVA Insurance Company CEO Saye D. Gbulazeh and his entourage presented to the LNP computer, projector, desktop, printers and speakers, among others to help the police force in conducting workshop for public safety.

Making the donation at the police headquarters, Mr. Gbulazeh says the company has established a working relationship with the LNP because it believes that public safety is a shared responsibility.

He says his insurance company also believes in corporate social responsibility and public – private cooperation. According to Mr. Gbulazeh, road traffic safety and accidents are a national health concern and should be a public health concern.

He suggests that if they are not part of national health program, road traffic safety and road traffic education must be incorporated into national public health program.

He says when people are aware, such as knowing the road signs and understanding traffic signs, it will help them slow down their speed. “So our effort here is to be sponsor of the national effort on road traffic [education],” he says, adding that ACTIVA will be proud sponsor of most of the road traffic seminars.

In presenting the materials, he says more effective and efficient training will require computer, projector, desktop, printers, speakers, and others. Receiving the accessories, Commissioner of Police for Operations Miekee Gray expressed thanks to the Company for the donation, assuring that the items will be used for their intended purpose.

Mr. Gray says the road traffic accident spoken of by Mr. Gbulazeh is a major issue here, noting that it has increased in Liberia over the years. He says as time comes, it goes up and comes down, urging the public that “we” fight it like they fought Ebola here.

Mr. Gray wonders “how can we probably lost two human beings a day,” saying it is a very serious issue. He emphasizes that training is needed because somebody would get up one morning, teaches his friend how to hold the steering and then the next thing is that the learner declares himself a driver and finds himself in the street among thousands of vehicles and human beings.

He says some of these people are not really drivers, but they are carrying the lives of others, concluding that driver education and training are really needed here. He says he will watch the officers in the police public safety division to provide training to teach people how and when to cross the streets, especially school – going kids.

By Winston W. Parley